Type of Hero

Contents

History

Vicki Vale is a photographer who was known to prominence in the journalistic community due to her coverage of the violent uprisings in Corto Maltese. Upon arriving in the Gotham City, while she doing a excellent job that working at the Gotham Globe, that she was partnered with the plucky, yet ambitious Alexander Knox. Unlike Vale, Knox had earned himself the derision of his peers because of his obsession with an urban legend known as the "Bat-Man". Vicki was the only reporter to believe Knox's stories, citing "I like... bats". In fact, it was Knox's investigation into the alleged Batman sightings that first drew her to Gotham City. Vale and Knox were invited to attend a charity function hosted by Bruce Wayne at his palatial Wayne Manor estate. Wayne and Vale developed a romantic interest in one another and he invited her back to the mansion for a romantic, yet awkward, dinner. The two became involved with one, though Vale had no idea that Wayne was actually the Batman that Knox spoke of. Though Vale was surely attracted to Wayne, she was still found him to be a man of great mystery. She must began keeping tabs on him and followed Wayne as he visited the sight where his parents were murdered so many years ago.

Vicki was present when gangster-gone-psychopath Jack Napier, aka, the Joker perpetuated a gun fight against rival mobsters on the steps of City Hall. The Joker has became infatuated with Vicki and did some research on her. Learning that Vale was responsible for taking so many gruesome photographs of the Corto Maltese massacre enticed him even more. He tricked Vicki into meeting him at the Flugelheim Museum. After killing all of the museum patrons with his patented Smylex gas, he engaged in a macabre courtship with the startled photographer. The Batman arrived on the scene and rescued Vicki. He brought her back to the Batcave where the two began researching the Joker's exploits. He gave Vicki an envelope detailing the nature of the Joker's Smylex poison and told her to take it to the press. Batman quickly realized that he had made a mistake in bringing her to his headquarters, so he rendered her unconscious with some knockout gas and brought her to her apartment.

In later, Batman visited Vicki's apartment as Bruce Wayne. He wanted to tell her the truth about his dual identity, but could not find the words. Moments later, the Joker appeared, ready to rekindle his affection for Vale. Bruce baited the Joker into attacking him, allowing Vicki time to escape. Vicki submitted the news that Batman had given her to the Gotham Globe, but continued with her private investigation into the life of Bruce Wayne. She found records chronicling the murder of Bruce's parents on Park Row. While Bruce Wayne's butler, Alfred Pennyworth, realized that Bruce needed someone in his life to keep him grounded. Recognizing Bruce's fondness for Vale, he elected to invite her into the Batcave, thus exposing Bruce's secret identity. Vicki was not bothered by this revelation and understood why Bruce led such a mysterious double life. However, Vicki Vale was present when Batman had his final confrontation with the Joker at the Gotham Cathedral. The Joker is usually to killed both of them, by knocking them over the ledge of one of the parapets, but the Batman caught Vicki just in time, preventing her from falling to her doom. The Joker was not so lucky. While trying to escape, soon he became entangled in a helicopter rope ladder and fell to his death. Following the Joker incident, the relationship between Wayne and Vale deteriorated. Although no longer together, there is no reason to suspect that Vicki ever betrayed Bruce's secret identity.